Rally falls short as ’Topes drop another

Loss to El Paso puts team under .500

For the first time in more than a month, the Albuquerque Isotopes are looking upward to see what .500 looks like.

Despite scoring six runs in the final three innings, Albuquerque lost its fourth consecutive game Monday night, 10-7, to open a four-game series against the visiting El Paso Chihuahuas.

The ‘Topes drop to 28-29 on the season. The last time they had a losing record was at 13-14 on May 4, when they started a four-game win streak.

“As I was in the bathroom watching my face,” Isotopes manager Glenallen Hill told reporters after the game, “I was just thinking, ‘OK, the positive of this game was that our offense showed some life toward the end. Hopefully we can use that for some momentum.’”

In fact, the six runs over the final three innings — led by Ryan McMahon’s 3-for-4 night with three runs and an RBI — was one of two positives in a game with a final score that looked far closer than it seemed throughout the night.

The other bright spot, after the taxed pitching staff allowed 35 runs in the current four game skid, was two relievers — C.C. Lee and Nelson Gonzalez — throwing 5⅓ scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, two walks and striking out eight.

“It was much needed after all those runs were scored in those long innings,” Hill said. “It kind of affects the offense. … Anytime the defense is on the field for an

extended period of time, it definitely has an effect on the offense in terms of the first hitter is always going to be less aggressive.”

Hill said his hitters tend to start being more selective after long innings and opposing pitchers tend to get ahead in the count in those scenarios, creating a snowball effect of offensive struggles.

There were a lot of long innings early for the ’Topes on Monday in a game that seemed out of reach before many of the announced Isotopes Park crowd of 6,939 had found their seats.

El Paso’s Rafael Ortega led the game off with a triple and scored.

It was 4-1 in the second inning, 5-1 in the 3rd and a five-run fourth, including a second Ortega triple for the game, led to 10-1 and the end of the night for starting pitcher Matt Flemer in his worst start of the season.

The 26-year-old Flemer (2-5) saw his ERA grow to 7.76 this season, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) off 10 hits and a walk in 3⅔ innings. He allowed a pair of home runs in the second and five extra base hits in all in just under four innings of work.

TAPIA MIA: The ’Topes offense could have used their best hitter on Monday.

But instead of leading off for Albuquerque, as he’s done in all 34 games he’s appeared in for the team this season, center fielder Raimel Tapia was again missing in action for the second day.

The parent organization Rockies have not officially called Tapia up, but the 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic who leads the team with a .359 batting average, was held out Sunday and Monday’s games.